The Making Of
by curbstomped
Summary: The future, eager to make an impact. The past, determined to prove herself once again. Will they succeed? Seth Rollins fic, plus a few others.
1. Chapter 1

_I own nothing except for my OC. Enjoy and feel free to give any type of feedback!_

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 _Late February 2015_

"…With everything that's gone on these past couple of weeks, Steph and I really think its imperative that we team you up with a manager. We need someone who can handle your busy schedule and who would have your best interests at heart, of course." Hunter said. His tone was even as he looked over to his wife, who smiled on proudly at her plan coming to fruition.

"A manager…you're giving me a damn manager? You hear me on the mic, I don't need a manager doing my bidding; I can handle it, Hunter!" Seth shouted and slammed his fist on the table, which earned a glare from the woman across the table. He didn't need some suit speaking for him; he could very well do it on his own.

"Who do you think you're talking to like that?" Stephanie scolded, perched up in her seat out of motherly instinct. "It's what's best for business, Seth. After all, that championship opportunity is going to expire pretty soon, and quite frankly, you're more trouble than you're worth sometimes." She said pointedly, watching as the dark haired man sunk back in his seat.

Almost as if a switch turned on, she flashed a smile and continued her husband's sentence. "So, we're putting you in great hands, Seth. It's someone who has a great eye for this business and is a certified winner."

"So you're putting me with Heyman?" The young man offered with a raise of his brow.

Stephanie gave a simple shake of her head. "They put Heyman to shame, Seth, but you're on the right track…Its Kari." She said with a cock of her head.

"…Kari? That old hag?! If I didn't know any better, I would say you were trying to sabotage me!" He huffed.

"…Well, shit, Seth, I'm only, what, 5 years older than you? I hardly qualify as an old hag, but thanks for the warm welcome." As if on cue, veteran Kari Beade strutted into the room and sat next to her new client.

* * *

It was obvious to anyone in the business that Divas didn't have long shelf lives. Most of them would stay about four or five years, then opt to go and start a family, or quite frankly, go do something easier than throwing another person across a ring. However, Kari was the exception. Pride, though she wouldn't admit it outright, kept her in the WWE for ten years, and the wrestling business in general for about double that amount of time.

Her wrestling track record spoke for itself. Born in Southside Jamaica, Queens, she had begun her training in her neighbor's gym at fifteen; though, if anyone asked back then, she was eighteen. As soon as she finished high school; her promise to her mother in exchange to pursue 'the wrestling thing', she shipped off to Chicago, training and working at any independent promotion that would take her. After making a few well known friends, she made her way back to the mid-Atlantic, this time in Ring of Honor, where she had solidified her name, _Dagger_ , with championships on championships from other promotions; wearing them like a badge of honor at television tapings and house shows.

Then 2005 hit, and so did an offer from the end all, be all (at least in her eyes at the time) company, with her best friend, with whom she shared a love for the business and a rather, well, less than pleasant attitude. Six title reigns and two undiagnosed concussions later, Kari had hit a wall. Her body, while still in shape, needed a break. However, she needed to stay relevant. So, after studying, learning and pestering, in 2012, she became a manager. This proved to be a goldmine, almost quite literally. Her quick witted tongue and observant nature led seven men to the top of the mountain, including her best friend and confidant, CM Punk. Though, years had passed between then, and her last client was less than successful, to say the least. Bitterness seeped deeper and deeper into her pores as the men and women she worked with, whether she liked them or not, began to move on from the company, her best friend's abrupt departure being the straw that broke the camel's back. Kari was determined to get back into the spotlight and back to her glory days, even if that meant having to deal with 'the powers that be.'

* * *

Seth's cold and calculating eyes followed the woman, the has-been, as he had referred to her in his head, to the seat next to him. Yeah, she used to be great and all, and he'd admit, he used to be a fan of hers, but he was the future, damn it, and he didn't need the past holding him back.

"Kari, it's a pleasure as always. I apologize for the decorum of your client here, but I'm sure it's not the worst thing you've heard." Stephanie quipped with a chuckle, earning an eye roll from the auburn haired woman. "Seth is our biggest investment, we know how good you are, and Hunter, well, he seems to trust you a lot despite your indiscretions in choices of social circles. You need to make sure that Seth becomes champion by any means necessary."

Kari looked between Seth and Stephanie. She very well knew that it would be a challenge, given Seth's recent track record and Stephanie's _stellar_ enthusiasm toward her appointment as manager. However, true to her character, she'd make it work to her benefit.

"It's my specialty. You have my word, before June, he'll have the gold." She smirked and looked around the table to find eyebrows peaked and scowls from all but Hunter, who carried a knowing look on his face.

With a pat of her new, reluctant client's shoulder, she chuckled. "We've got a lot of work to do, Rollins."


	2. Chapter 2

To further the _bonding experience_ , as Stephanie called it, Kari and Seth were locked in the latter's dressing room. To Seth, it felt like a damn torture chamber. Kari fiddled around with her phone and looked up as the two-toned man paced back and forth angrily.

"I don't fucking get why I have to have a damn manager!"

"Clearly, you have such a sparkling personality and spotless reputation." Kari scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Your sarcasm is shit, Kari." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"And so is your track record with monogamy." The brunette deadpanned and tucked her phone back in her pocket. She perched forward and looked Seth over. He certainly wasn't terrible to look at, but his attitude, quite frankly, was shit.

"You have no right to comment on my personal life, that's not what this arrangement is about. And you're fucking one to talk; you and Punk were a thing and look how well that went." He snarled.

"Your personality certainly is what this arrangement is about. You, quite frankly, fucked up, got caught and now what have you become? A dog with his tail tucked between his legs and with side chick turned girlfriend who cares more about her follower count on Twitter than she does about what you feel and think. You almost got your ass fired before you even got up here, and maybe I have no room to talk on that, because, well, look who my best friend is. Thing is, your mouth and your actions write checks that your ass can't cash, and whether it's Joey or it's me, you've always needed someone to cover for you." She ranted, her nostrils flared. "And another thing, my relationship with Punk has no business being your damn mouth. So, shut up before I smack the damn words out of your mouth." The brunette growled.

Seth looked over at her, eyes wide with shock. He should've expected her to talk back, but not dissect every aspect of his life. Still keeping up his defenses, he quickly went back to narrowing his eyes at her. "I'd like to see you try. You don't know my situation; you don't know the whole story."

"You're a scared little boy with both daddy and commitment issues, and feel an inane need to prove yourself by poking bears that you have no business poking. You're insecure in your abilities both as a man and as a wrestler and that's why you pull the snotty, Draco Malfoy shit that you do. Damn, Rollins, you just get in your own damn way."

With a deep breath, the half-brunette man took a step back. Her words struck a chord with him, and his normal reaction would be violence to anyone that brought up his father, but he was quite frankly, too stunned to do anything.

"Do I have your attention now, Rollins?" Kari said, feeling a bit of guilt for digging into him, but figured it was the only way to get him to stop.

He nodded in response and cast his eyes to the ground.

"Look, Stephanie, the bitch that she is, wants to hurt both of us. Quite frankly, we can make this work to our advantage long term. That is, if you can stand the sight of me…I didn't mean to upset you or shit like that, your life is your life, but you're a smart man, we just need to get on the same page. Can we do that?" She asked; her demeanor warm as she tried to look in his brown eyes.

After a few minutes, Seth looked up at Kari with his bottom lip between his teeth. "Let's get to it, then."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay! A little NSFWish, hope you guys enjoy!**

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"Kari, you wanted to stay. I gave you an out…"

"And you never let me forget it, Phil. Foolishly so; I'm all in with this place, even if it means dealing with Steph and Hunter's bullshit. He's gotten better, though; he actually listens to what I have to say now." Kari defended as she spoke on the phone. She fiddled with a loose string on her shirt as she spoke to her best friend. She knew there was no use fighting with a pessimist like Phil, but she wouldn't roll over for him either; that's why they stayed friends as long as they did.

"Oh, clearly, all of your problems are solved, now. Look, you're not an idiot, Kari; I know you'll figure it out. It just sucks hearing you upset and not being able to do shit about it." He muttered with a sigh.

"Aw, look at you, Tin Man…"

"I told you not to call me that, y'damn pain in my ass."

Kari laughed and looked down the hall, then spotted a familiar figure approaching. "Look, I'll talk to you later, okay?" She said before hanging up the phone and standing up off of the box she sat on. A wide smile spread across her face as she walked toward him; only to be interrupted by a buzz of her cell phone.

 **Seth:** _You think we could go over the promo before taping tonight?_

With a roll of her eyes, the brunette began to answer the text. That was, until a callused hand went to lock the screen.

"Y'know, darlin', you shouldn't text and walk; might cause an accident." The man drawled.

"Well, Dean, I guess we should go and exchange insurance information." Kari quipped as she looked up at her man. She couldn't help but smile as she saw him. Sure, he wasn't her usual type, but Dean made her happy, damn it and no one could take that away from her.

"Wonderful idea, let's go." He said and picked her up by the waist, bringing his girlfriend into an abandoned dressing room and closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, Kari beat on his back and flailed her legs the whole way, earning chuckles from some of her co-workers.

Kari was backed up against the door when she let her hands slide into his back pockets, earning a smirk from Dean.

"It's been way too long, baby girl." He said softly and kissed her slowly, his hands moving to the small of her back and up her shirt.

"That's the understatement of the damn year…Never go and film a movie again, okay? I don't care how many weird cop fantasies it spurs, it was too damn long." She ranted as Dean let out a brief chuckle against her lips. Even though they had only been dating a little over a year, the time apart sucked, and adding her current position in the company, she had been close to miserable.

"I will remember for next time; no movies unless you're in them, Kar. Right now, we can make up for lost time." He answered as he kissed her again, his hands exploring her body and stopping at the hooks of her bra. Dean looked into her deep brown eyes and raised a brow.

"Since when did you need permission, baby?" She teased breathlessly and played with his hair. As he unclipped her bra, she went to work on his neck; nipping and sucking at a particular spot. After a few curses and moans fell from his lips, he yanked her shirt up over her head, and teased one of her breasts in response. He flicked the nipple with his thumb and panted as he picked up his girl and brought her to the bench.

Meanwhile, Kari held her position at his neck, knowing the sensation would and did drive him wild. She tugged on his tank top and nearly ripped it off; she followed Dean's lead as he pushed her to lie on the bench, stopping her movement for the time being. He hovered over the woman and smirked devilishly as if she was a feast and he had been starving for days. The dirty blond kissed down her body, starting with a languid kiss at her lips and moving south.

She carelessly moaned as Dean left a trail of kisses, damning whoever heard to hell. He nipped at her curves, careful to give special attention before stopping at the hem of her dress pants.

"Hearing your voice every night wasn't enough. I'm so happy that I get to see your face live and in living color again, Kari. I wanna show my baby girl just how much I appreciate her." He said and licked his lips as he cast his eyes downward. Kari smiled and arched her hips up to him, almost as a signal. As Dean's rough hands unbuttoned her pants, the door swung open.

"Jesus Christ, Kari! I asked you a question an hour ago and you don't even have the decency to—" Seth began to rant before he completely took in the situation before him. "Holy shit." He froze up and covered his eyes.

"They have knocking in Iowa, don't they, Rollins?" Dean huffed and sat up uncomfortably, trying to adjust himself. Kari, on the other hand, threw her hands over her bare chest and looked around to wherever her shirt landed.

"Shut up, Ambrose. We have business to attend to." He snapped, quickly composing himself while trying to shake the image of Kari's half naked body from his mind. Not that he minded it, but that was beside the point at the moment. He picked up the blouse and began to walk it over before Dean snatched it and handed it to his girl. She gave her boyfriend a look and said "We do have stuff to do before the show, honey. I'll see you after the show, alright?" She offered. Dean stood up from his seat and blocked Seth's view as she changed and pecked her lips once she stood up.

With a nod and a sigh, he moved toward the door and made sure to shoulder check his former brother before walking out the door.

Kari combed back her hair and fixed her pants, not quick to look her client in the eye.

"Sorry about that, it's…"

"I didn't even know it was a thing. Good for you, he's a good guy." He offered a half hearted smile.

"It wasn't something I was advertising, given my track record, as you said a while ago…He's amazing." She said, grinning stupidly as Dean was mentioned. "Anyway, let's get started, shall we?" She asked as she went to open the door. Seth followed close behind with a nod, still trying to make sense of everything, including whatever jealousy came through, seemingly out of nowhere.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys so much for all the love, I really appreciate it! If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to let me know!**

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"So, what might be our best advantage is the element of surprise, Rollins. That contract is about to expire, and we need to cash it in when everyone is least expecting it." Kari said; glasses perched on her nose as she looked over his script. "This whole Orton bit makes you look weak, though. We need to change this…" She scratched out a word, much to Seth's confusion. He watched as she dissected the piece of paper like a lion assessed its prey.

The half blond sat back and took in his manager, biting his lip as his eyes started at her knees and went up, craning his neck to appreciate the curvature of her ass and waist. He shouldn't have been mentally undressing her when he was the one that asked for help in the first place. Though, that hadn't stopped him before. His gaze stopped at her ample chest, not having to do much guesswork in the way of mentally undressing her there, given what happened hours prior. Sure, she wasn't his typical type, but he would've been stupid to say that he didn't enjoy what he saw, no matter how long it was for.

"…Seth? Hello? Earth to moron, keep up with me, here; I asked you a question!" Kari said; her tone irritated. This fucking kid was the one pestering her for help with his lines and there he was with his mouth slack and eyes glassed over. "Are you drunk right now?"

Seth snapped back into reality as she yelled. "No, sorry, I was just…Figuring out when I could get to a CrossFit before the show. What was the question?"

The brunette huffed and shook her head at her client. "It was about changing your gear. Mania is three weeks away, and if we're going to pull this off, you need to change your look. Champions wear gold, so we need to get Sandra to put these gold details in what you have already." She said, and showed him the haphazard sketch she had drawn up. He cocked his head to the side and looked at the detail before looking back up at Kari.

"That's awesome, wow. Uhm, yeah, let's go with that." He said, still a bit distracted by his own thoughts, making a plan of his own. He could easily sweep Kari out from under Ambrose's nose. It wouldn't take much; after a few weeks of working with her, he got a sense of her personality and what made her tick. The chase would be fun, and the prize would definitely be worth it. All he had to do was turn on the charm, and the rest would fall into place. "You really think of everything, don't you?"

"You think Mom and Dad there would put you with a shmuck? Thinking of everything got me to where I am; it got Punk new music and Ziggler new shirt designs." Kari quipped; making no attempt to be humble.

"Did it get Ambrose new gear, too?" Seth asked with a smirk and moved closer to her. Kari laughed and sat up straight in her chair before responding.

"He's got nothing to do with this." She said curtly. "So, I'll go ask Sandra to fix this up later. Do you have any other questions?"

"Yeah, when did you two become a thing?"

"Sandra and I? Ever since I started, she made sure my gear didn't make me look like I was a sausage stuffed in casing." She said with a huff.

"No, you and Dean. You guys never hung around together backstage…"

"Because we didn't feel the need to have everyone knowing our business last year, that's why. I wanted to make it easier for him to forge his path without having people giving him shit that all his opportunities were coming from him being with me. Why do you care again?"

"Just curious, that's all. I would have never pictured you two as a thing; you're complete opposites. Maybe back in your glory days when you were all…Dagger-y."

"Dagger-y…So when I was running around like a Joker-esque psychopath? You realize that was kayfabe, right? That wasn't how I was back then. Opposites attract, Rollins, that's how the saying goes. He helped me out of a shitty point in my life. I'm sorry you were too up your own ass to recall it, given that you were around then." She said softly and fiddled with the watch on her wrist.

"I was planning a wedding then, not up my own ass." Seth defended; snapping out of what he thought was a smooth demeanor.

"And now look where you are. No wedding, no fiancée, not even your dog."

"You seem to have the dog aspect covered with your boyfriend." He cackled. Kari snapped up from her seat, drawing a petrified look from Seth's face.

"You talk shit about him like that; we're going to have problems. This is why I didn't want you knowing shit about my personal life." Kari said with a shake of her head as she headed toward the door.

So, his plan was going the way he wanted. He needed to regroup, and fast.

"Look, Kar, I'm sorry, that was just…instinct." Seth said as he marched toward her. "This thing between us should be about trust. I should make it easier for you to trust me, and shit like that won't help, I realize that."

Kari turned around at him, surprised at how apologetic he was being. Maybe she had him all wrong; after all, her radar wasn't always perfect.

"It's…fine. You want to get comfortable with me, and if that helps, then ask away." She chuckled. "We've got to get to make up, though. We're on first tonight. Let's walk and talk." The brunette smiled and held the door open as they both walked out.

"Whatever you say, boss." He retorted, trailing behind her with knowing smirk. This would be easier than he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Shoutout to Sryboutyodmnluc for the inspiration for this chapter. Go check out her story, it's awesome! Enjoy, everyone!**

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 _The week after_

Seth had thought himself to be pretty successful the past week. He had gotten closer to Kari, closer than he initially anticipated and was well into her good graces. He had to divulge the details to someone, and almost as if it was a sign, he ran into Marek. After exchanging pleasantries, he got straight into it.

"Wait, I can't follow your soap opera of a life. So, you're trying to hook up with your manager, who's dating someone, while you're dating someone? You weren't successful last time, Seth, why try again?" Marek asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"You sound like everyone else, Jesus Christ, Brave, have a little faith in the process!" He chuckled. "No one's gonna find out shit. I'm just trying to set this up so I'm covered on all fronts, you catch my drift?"

With a skeptical look, the raven haired man nodded. "One day this shit is gonna catch up to you, Seth."

"This shit? No, this shit is easy…Kari's so easy to read. She's like a fucking nursery rhyme." Seth smirked. "What do they say? If at first you don't succeed, try try again? I'm planning to try over and over and over with Kari Beade."

"I'm sure 18 year old you is very excited about all this. You were practically in love with her back then." His friend quipped as he laid back against the wall; watching people pass by as his eyes found a pair of familiar blue ones.

"This is all so fucking easy, too. She's an open book-"

"Uh, Seth…" Marek interrupted with a slap of his friend's shoulder.

"All big chicks are, though. She's so desperate for love and attention…"

"Seth, shut up…"

"You've gotten ruder over the years, huh? You're a damn French fry box, shut up. Like I said, Kari is like every other big girl; desperate for love and attention that they'll open their-"

"Open their what, Rollins? I dare you to finish your sentence." A gruff voice interrupted. Seth noticed Dean as he turned around, smirking and feeling bold as he saw his former teammate.

"I'm sure you know the ending, Ambrose." He said, going nose to nose with him. Behind them, Marek simply smacked his forehead in frustration with his friend before walking away.

"You want to talk shit about the big chick that's trying to salvage your shitty career? I'll put you through that fucking wall." Dean snarled as he curled and uncurled his fists.

Seth's eyebrows shot up as he tried to keep his cool. "I'm not talking shit; I'm just stating the truth, Ambrose. You've clearly taken advantage of that desperation tenfold. Hell, you swooped in when she was depressed about her best friend leaving, and I applaud you for following through with it. Shit, I would too if it meant I got laid every night. You really took one for the team, Dean…" Seth ended with a smirk and a bob of his head.

That was, until the man in front of him lurched toward him in anger and began to throw punches wildly. He tackled Seth to the ground, hitting him repeatedly as the smaller man tried fruitlessly to hit back. He tried to be calm, cool and collective, but Rollins had crossed a line. No one spoke about Kari like that without him doing anything about it.

After a while, a crowd formed around them; trying to pull the two wrestlers off of each other despite Dean's efforts to bloody and bruise Seth more than he already had. It did stop until a thick New York accent calling their names cut through the noise of the crowd.

Kari breathlessly squirmed her way through and got between them, looking between the two former Shield members. "What the hell is going on here? I leave for a shoot for ten minutes, and you're trying to kill each other?" She asked and looked around the hall. "You all can go now, this shit is private." The brunette snapped as the crowd dispersed.

"Kar, he was talking nonsense and-" Dean said before he was promptly cut off.

"He just came at me like a fucking lunatic. Way to fit the stereotype, Dean-o." Seth added as he held his bleeding nose with his shirt.

Kari took it all in between the two before assuming the role of referee.

"You both acted like lunatics. You think talking shit and making a scene before a taping bodes well for either of you? What if Hunter found you guys like this? Shit, he's gonna find Seth with a broken nose…Look, we can all sort this out later. Right now, I need to get Seth to the training room and makeup to fix this all up before tonight…I thought we were better than this, Dean. Please have Roman or someone tape your knuckles up or something, okay, baby?" She sighed as she looked to her boyfriend. Kari did her best to help Seth down the hallway, the half blonde looking back and smirking at Dean as he faded out of view.

Meanwhile, the leather clad man stood there; seething with rage before stalking off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay, it took a bit to get muse for this story again. Big thanks to everyone reviewing, especially** **Straight Edge Queen** **who is always on top of it. You're awesome! Y'all might kill me for this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it regardless!**

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"I can't believe Dean would pull this shit right before a taping…I'm sorry, Seth." Kari apologized profusely. As much as she knew that Seth could be an instigator, she knew her boyfriend's temper even better. She looked on curiously as the trainer inspected Seth's nose.

"I know how he can be, Kar…No worries." He offered with a devious smirk and winced when the trainer touched the bridge of his nose, mumbling a string of curses. "Part of the job description, right?" He joked.

"We're short on time, but at first glance, it looks like just a bruised bone. You're lucky, Rollins. I'll take a better look at it after the show tonight. For right now, some ice should do the trick." The trainer said and handed Kari an ice pack to put on his nose.

The brunette gave her client a sympathetic look. "I just expected him to be more professional…but we should look forward, right? You've got Orton tonight, so you have to move fast and protect your face." She advised and looked into his brown eyes.

"So, do what I normally do? Got it." Seth chuckled. "If you're feeling particularly giving, and if it would make you feel better, we could do drinks after the show. I've got a feeling we both might need it." He said and moved the ice pack off of his face and brushed his hand against hers.

"How incredibly subtle, Rollins. If you wanted to go out, you should've just said it…" Against her better judgment, Kari agreed. What was the worst that could happen, anyway?

Before the match, Kari usually left Seth to his ritual and mulled around the arena until it was time to go on.

"I need to talk to you about what happened earlier, Kar…"

"Save it, Ambrose. You couldn't contain yourself for half a second? I know Seth can be an asshole, but just blow him off." The brunette drawled and took the time to look up at her boyfriend.

Dean furrowed his brow incredulously, shaking his head at the accusation. "Last I checked, I'm not a caged animal, but thank you for joining the rest of the world on that assumption. He was talking bad about you and I was defending your honor. No one talks shit about my girl and gets away with it, it's not right."

"Defending my honor? What are you, the Black Knight? I've been handling my own for years, I don't need you jumping in. All you have done is make a mess for me to clean up with corporate…I'm going out tonight, don't wait up." She snapped and got up from her seat to gorilla, leaving Dean huffing. Kari didn't have time for his feigned chivalry, not when it interfered with business. She wanted to prove that she could be great again and didn't need the blow up to be a road block.

 _An hour later_

After the match, a sweaty and breathless Seth leaned on Kari to escort him up the ramp. With a little aid from his manager, he picked up the win, and they both couldn't be happier for it. It was great momentum in the thick of Wrestlemania season and gave them both another reason to let loose.

Deep in the corner of the man's conscience, he knew driving a wedge between Kari and Dean was wrong, but he wanted to prove a point, and hell, he was having too much fun with it. He thought on it as he got in the shower and got dressed for the night. Seth had heard stories of Kari's nights out in her indy days, so he was anticipating just as much this evening. He stepped out of the dressing room, duffle bag in hand. "Hey, beautiful, ready to go?" He asked before turning to face Kari, who casually leaned against the cement wall, clad in a tight, red dress. Seth had always thought she was a gorgeous woman; heck, that thought went back a good fifteen years before he considered wrestling as a profession, but to see her dolled up in person was a whole different ballgame for him.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She quipped and tucked her phone back into her bag. The brunette rarely went out; most of her friends were either retired or straight-edge, so it would be nice to be able to have a drink and unwind for a few hours and take her mind off of work. She led the way to the parking lot and stopped as she saw a crowd of fans at the exit. She grabbed Seth, who had his head down and was charging forward, by the arm to force a stop. "I'm sure we can spare a few minutes, right?" She asked, blinking her brown eyes at him. "It's either this or they'll call you an asshole on the internet even more than they do now…Pick your poison." She joked.

Opting to stay in his managers good graces, Seth smiled over at her and nodded. "This is why they pay you top dollar, huh?" He laughed and dropped his bag, then made his way to the perimeter and began to sign and take pictures. Kari was surprised by the reaction she got and eagerly engaged with the fans, talking and photographing long after Seth had stopped. She wouldn't admit it, but she was in her glory with it, something her half-blonde companion sat back and took in. Once she was done, she looked back at him with a smile and jumped in the waiting taxi, tossing her stuff in the trunk.

They soon made their way over to the bar; a small, kitschy place Seth had researched when he had gotten into town. It was mostly full of locals; which bode well for him and Kari. He could make his moves in peace and not have to worry about prying eyes. As they got out, the brunette looked around with a smile. "I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've been to a place like this…you know all the good spots, don't you?" She joked as she joined Seth on the other side of the car and linked arms to walk in together. Even she could recognize that the place would be a safe haven. That and it didn't look like there was much cell service for anyone to tweet out a photo of them.

"Call it a gift." He laughed as they strolled in and got seated in a booth in the corner of the pub, somewhat secluded from the other patrons who went about their business. They placed their orders and got settled in. Kari fiddled with the coaster in front of her, her mind going back to her earlier exchange with her boyfriend before Seth interrupted the silence. "Something on your mind?" He asked curiously.

She picked her head up and looked at him. "Nothing important. I'm happy to be out and about, though. It's like, sometimes we can get sucked into this work vortex and get stuck focusing on that; it'll drive you crazy." The brunette said as their drinks arrived and took a quick sip of hers with a pucker of her lips. "Christ, that's strong." She chuckled.

Seth nodded along knowingly. "It's easy to get stuck in that bullshit, which I've learned over the years. We need to get out sometimes and just feel normal for a bit. Let our hair down and all that." He said and drank from his bottle. "Yeah, they said that about this place on Yelp." He smiled and studied Kari as she drank once more and twiddled with her necklace.

A few hours and several drinks had passed when the brunette leaned in close to Seth and began her drunken rant. "It's like…I don't need fucking saving like I'm some distressed bimbo like his ex was, y'know? I can handle my shit, I've handled my shit for years. He acts like someone hasn't called me fat before? Jesus Christ, I've been this size for years; that shit is like white noise!" She raved with a drink in her hand. The younger man followed on as much as he could, given his inebriated state as well. He felt a pang of guilt when she spoke and frowned.

"I'm sorry about that, Kar, I didn't mean to insult you, it was just…well, I got no excuse for it, and I'm just sorry…" He slurred and held onto her waist tight. "You're so beautiful the way you are, you make it look so effortless. You're smart, charismatic…did I mention beautiful?" He said and looked into her eyes.

Kari waved her free hand as she blushed a deep crimson. "At least you're honest about it, Seth. He gets so high on his macho bullshit and it blows up in his face and I just…I hate talking about it, enough about him." She paused and shook her head at him. Rational Kari wouldn't have hung on every word Seth said like gospel and wouldn't want to be all over him like white on rice, but Rational Kari had checked out as soon as they walked in the place. "You're not so bad yourself, Seth, despite all your bullshit." She smiled and trailed her free hand down his cheek and against his scruff.

"Well, we can forget about the bullshit for a while, right?" He smirked and leaned in closer to her, his grip tight on her waist. Seth knew what he wanted, his ulterior motives abandoned; he wanted and needed Kari in that moment, consequences be damned.

Kari cocked her head and nodded, her eyes now drifting between his brown orbs and pink lips. It was wrong, and they both knew that, but any sense of wrong and right was out the window by the time Seth closed the space between them and kissed Kari slowly, savoring the taste of alcohol on her lips. She responded back and gripped the back of his head for leverage as their tongues moved against one another. Seth's flushed and callused hands traveled up and down her sides with fervor and eventually made their way to her thighs; eliciting a moan against his lips. Before he could go any further, the wrestler pulled away for a breath.

"I, I need you Kari…Please, baby girl." He pouted with big doe eyes.

The brunette, ever the exasperated and drunken flirt, licked her lips. "Well, what kind of manager would I be if I didn't do what was best for your needs, huh?" She teased and stumbled to her feet. Seth eagerly tossed a few bills on the table before getting up behind Kari and kissing her neck as they made their way to the door and to a cab back to the hotel.


	7. Chapter 7

Enjoy, everyone! It's a doozy!

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Hurried hands and sloppy kisses covered Kari's face and waist as they made it to Seth's hotel room. She sprawled out on the mattress in drunken ecstasy and giggled as his facial hair tickled her neck and chest. Seth let his hands explore her body and tried to figure out what made her tick.

Lately, he had thought of what it would be like to be with her. He had always had this image of Kari, one he admittedly put on a pedestal, but to have the real thing in front of him nearly blew his mind. With heavy panting following his kissing, he straddled her hips and smirked up at her.

"You're so beautiful; like a work of art…I wanna show you just how much I appreciate you, baby girl." He cooed against her skin, forcing the older woman to shoot up and nearly knock Seth off of her.

 _Dean. Shit!_ She thought, and rubbed her face. "I, I gotta go…I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry." She mumbled as she scrambled for her shirt, pulling it on over her head.

Seth, meanwhile, sat bewildered on the edge of the bed. He wasn't sure what to say or do at this point, he was more confused than anything in his drunken stupor. It wasn't until Kari left and the door clicked shut that it registered with him.

Kari scrambled down the hall, stumbling and holding onto the wall until she reached the door of her room, fumbling with the room key and dialing her phone. She immediately started to choke up as the reality of her situation hit her.

"I, I kissed him, I kissed Seth and we were going at it and then…then he kept on calling me baby girl and like, shit, he made me feel so good…I shouldn't have done it. God I'm so drunk, I shouldn't have done that to Dean…" She cried into the phone.

"You fucked that weasel? Kari, I can't fucking believe you. After all that shit he said about you, you went back to him like some…some stupid whore!" He drawled.

"D-Dean? Dean, baby, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Kari slurred as she sobbed.

"Don't you get how good you have it? And you, you masochistic, stupid bitch, you like fucking everything up!"

"I, I don't, baby-"

"Don't you fucking interrupt me, Beade! You think anyone's gonna want anything to do with you after this? God, I knew I should've believed them when they said you fucked your way to the top…No one gives a shit about you, Kari; it's all pity. You're lucky I still give a shit; no one else has or ever will." Dean snarled over the phone; clearly irate.

Kari could only respond with sobs as he insulted her; taking what he said as gospel and not even attempting to defend herself at this point.

"I'm s-sorry…I won't do it again, baby. I love you so much." She said softly.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He spoke curtly, and hung up the phone.

 _Two weeks later_

Kari's demeanor had completely changed in the weeks after her encounter with Seth. Her dress was much more conservative off camera; she opted for regular t-shirts instead of V-necks, and the normally loud and cheerful woman had grown quiet and demure. To say it was awkward between client and manager would be an understatement. At Dean's insistence, they only spoke to and saw each other at work, and any time she spent outside of work was with her boyfriend.

The brunette looked over the script for the night in the corner of the empty men's locker room; it seemed like it was the only place she could find peace and quiet before a show. She'd wave politely whenever someone would pass by; not daring to say anything more than hello. Her hands shook as she studied the sheet; another new norm for her, and she jumped when a voice cut the silence.

"I have some notes for the promo tonight. I really didn't like-" Seth started as he approached his manager, who looked akin to a frightened doe.

"We shouldn't change the script. Stephanie doesn't want anyone going off script this close to Wrestlemania." She said softly, barely making eye contact with Seth.

The half-brunette cocked his head to the side with a frown as Kari spoke; it was beyond unlike her to actually agree with a script, but he opted to let it slide.

"Alright, so then can I rehearse it with you?" He asked, matching her tone. The brunette answered with a nod and Seth began to read from the script before stopping mid-sentence.

"Look, we should probably talk about what happened a few weeks ago, Kar. We were both really drunk and said and did things that we-"

"We need to focus on work, Seth, okay? We…we can't talk about it, I don't want to talk about it." Kari stammered, her heart racing a mile a minute.

"So we're just going to have this awkwardness between us? I care about you, Kari, and I know you're with Ambrose, but I really like you and that's what I was acting on that night." He said honestly as he craned his neck to meet her once bright eyes.

"You're lying, Seth, s-stop lying…No one wants me, n-no one cares about me. I'm just a stupid whore…" She recited, her hands shaking like a leaf on a windy day as she started to cry.

Seth bit down hard on his lip as he processed what she said, his frown deep as Kari trembled. He reached out to grab her hand, but was met with a sharp snap back.

"You're not a stupid whore, Kari. If anyone is a stupid whore in this equation, you're looking at him." He joked, trying to ease the negative energy in the room.

Kari sobbed into the heels of her hands and shook her head violently. "C-can we go back t-to work, please?" She asked and looked up at him with glistening eyes.

Suddenly, it hit him. Kari wouldn't talk that low about herself; even if she felt guilty about what she did, she wouldn't come up with that on her own. He knew exactly who would and stood up from his seat. "Of course…I gotta go to the bathroom, though. I'll be right back." He said and stalked off to catering.

Dean sat with his feet propped up on the table in front of him; mouth full of sandwich as Seth approached him. He narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils at his former friend.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Ambrose. If you've got an issue with me, be a man and talk about it with me. Don't take it out on your girlfriend." Seth said and slapped his feet off of the table, causing Dean to stand up.

"What I do in my relationship is not any of your business, Rollins. You already put yourself in it once, and now you need to fuck off." He snarled.

"We didn't even do anything! Did you know that she's the one that stopped it; that woman that you call a stupid whore? She didn't want to hurt you, and here you are, cutting her down to the point that she can't even talk right!" Seth shouted, causing heads to turn in their direction.

"Shut the fuck up!" Dean shouted and shoved the smaller man; causing a brawl to ensue. Fists flew as Seth sat on top of him.

"How fucking dare you tell her no one cares about her! You're the one that doesn't give a shit! She's not some prize, she's a woman…a great one at that and you fucking reduced her to a shell of herself! You don't deserve her, Ambrose. She needs someone that will treat her like gold." He said as he hit his face repeatedly.

"Who, like you? That'd be a fucking downgrade. Fucking take her then. She's damaged goods, Rollins." He shouted back as he tried to fight him off.

"Don't you EVER talk about her like that!" Seth screamed as sets of hands reached to pull him off. With one swift kick to the face, he backed off of Dean and shook out his arms. Once they were finally separated in different rooms, he saw a familiar set of eyes look at him.

"Kar Bear…" He said to himself and quickly jogged to the trembling woman and took her hands in his once he approached. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like I should ask you the same...I heard what you said." She said as she tried to clear her throat.

"I'm sorry if it freaked you out, but I couldn't deal with someone talking about anyone like that, much less you. I know I can be a pain in your ass, but you mean something to me; you always have. And this doesn't even have to be a thing, I just wanted to get it off my chest." He said with a smile.

For what felt like the first time in a while, Kari smiled up at Seth. "You stood up for me; no one's done that for me in a long time and I…shit, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same about you, Rollins. You might be a pain in the ass, but you're a loyal pain in the ass." She laughed and gripped his callused hands. "What about, uh, what's her name?" Kari asked as she chewed on her lip.

"She had a conniption when I told her about what happened. We broke up, and then she proceeded to block me on Twitter." He said, trying to sound as serious as he could after his last sentence.

"Sounds like a rough break up…" The brunette said with a pause before they both let out rather loud laughs. "Come on, we should get to this script…You're right, it does suck." She remarked as they walked off hand in hand.


	8. Chapter 8

You guys are saints for waiting this long for a chapter. I'm sorry for the delay, I had a bit of writer's block. Thank you Taylor (SryBoutYoDmnLuc) for the help!

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A few weeks had passed from Seth and Dean's collision, and ironically enough, spirits could not have been higher. Seth and Kari were as close as close could be; riding together, rooming together, training together…Much to the chagrin of some of the locker room. They went about their business as Wrestlemania neared, hyper-focused on the pay per view at hand.

"So, it's less than three months to June, and if I remember correctly, you made a promise about me being champion before then…" Seth teased, fumbling with Kari's free hand as she texted with the other. He had finally gotten comfortable enough where touching and holding the woman was commonplace. Not pleased with the lack of attention he was getting; the half blonde nudged his manager, who was still focused on whatever was going on her phone. "…Kari, I think I'm going to dye my hair bright pink next and wear a feather boa to the ring, what do you think?"

"…Sounds great, Rollins." Kari mumbled mindlessly as she snapped a reply back to her best friend on her phone.

 _Nothing is going on, Phil. Jesus, he's not you._

 _If I remember correctly, rooming together is how we hooked up. You know his track record, Kar; don't play with fire._

 _I'm not playing with fire, you idiot! I just got out the Ambrose clusterfuck._

 _Cause of Rollins…the writing is on the wall, Kari. Just be careful…_

Before Kari could write back, her screen went black. "What the hell?" She said before looking up at Seth, an innocent look on his face.

"You looked pissed, I didn't want you getting upset again." He said softly as he went to nip at her neck.

"Your concern is sweet and all, Seth, but I'm fine…" Kari sighed and gasped as Seth's teeth grazed a sensitive spot. "Oh, good Lord."

Seth took her cry as encouragement and continued to suck at the spot. "I just…want to make sure you're in peak mental condition for next week. Clear head, good plan and all that." The brunette mumbled against her skin.

 _Yeah, the clear head part would be a lot easier without thinking about waking up to your face first thing in the morning_. She thought as she tugged on his blond patch. "I, I got something, Seth…The main event…You cash in next week when both of those guys are out for the count…No one will expect it, and it's in your favor given that Brock and Roman got about a hundred pounds combined on you…Shit, that feels so good, keep going." She cooed as she writhed under his touch.

Meanwhile, his eyebrows shot up as she went through the plan nonchalantly. He sucked harder on the spot; eliciting a moan from the older woman until he left a bruise. Seth pulled away slowly and smirked at Kari. "You're a fucking genius, Kari!"

"Yeah, I know…Why did you stop, though?" She remarked, unfazed by his compliment and blissfully zoned out. Seth couldn't help but laugh; he loved making Kari happy in any way he could. That's what he thought she deserved, given all of the things she had gone through recently. It wasn't like it was a chore for him, either; the attraction was still there, it was just the fear of forcing her into something serious so soon after a less than stellar break up that kept him at bay with some other actions.

"How dare me!" He joked before pouncing on Kari; her giggle encouraging him to move back to her neck; his hands now grabbing and pinching at her sides, making her squirm and moan his name rather audibly. Seth moved to her lips; kissing her rather hard until they were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

"This is…wonderful and all, but don't let Crazy catch you and go, well, nuts."

Seth pulled up and looked at his friend sheepishly. "Let him find me, Antonio." He said as Kari sat up and straightened her shirt out. "Nice to see you, Antonio." She said with a nudge to Seth's ribs.

"Nice to see you, too. It's really nice not to hear Seth ranting about your 'beautiful, pouting lips', as he called them." He chuckled, his accent thick. Kari couldn't help but laugh as her client turned a bright red. "Don't you have a tag match or something?" He quipped.

"Best of luck, you two!" He called out as he left.

A few days later, Seth was prepping for one of the house shows left before Wrestlemania when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" He called out as he adjusted his wraps.

"Rollins…" Phil said monotone.

Taking a minute to compose himself, Seth turned around with a smile. "They let you into the building? I'm surprised."

"Kari snuck me in, Smartass…She's the reason why I'm here." He said, taking a seat on a stool. Seth begrudgingly sat down next to him.

"I can only imagine why." The half-brunette said, anticipating the worst of the conversation.

"I'm sure you could. Look, you know how long Kari and I have known each other and that she's essentially family to me. I've seen her get fucked over by people she's gotten involved with, myself included." Phil began.

"We're not…" Seth interrupted.

"Do you think I'm stupid? She likes you…a lot, in case you haven't noticed. Don't hurt her, don't…sweep her under the rug. She's a good person; one of the few you'll find around here. Kari will treat you like gold, I'm telling you not to take advantage of that because you will regret it…" He sighed and rubbed his face; his mind going to his own past indiscretions. "You'll regret it every day of your life." With his words, he stood up. "Best of luck to you, Rollins, don't fuck it up." The tattooed man walked toward the door and left, leaving Seth stunned in his seat.

He digested Phil's words as much as he could; letting his speech sink in. Making things 'official', so to speak, had crossed his mind more than a few times and now he knew to put up or shut up.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey friends! Thanks for sticking with this story! I greatly appreciate all of the love and kind words (and patience!) This chapter is something I'm really proud of, and I hope you all enjoy it!

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 _March 29, 2015_

Seth buzzed with the anticipation in the air…Well, maybe it was the nerves. It was the day of WrestleMania, his first one alone at that and he had about ten minutes until he was to go on early in the evening. Kari tapped away on her phone like a mad woman, and grinned once she put it down. The half blonde, meanwhile, paced around the dressing room and took rather loud deep breaths.

"You're going to be fine, Seth. Just treat it like any other match." The woman offered as she looked up at him with a smile.

"What if I fuck it up, though? There's a lot of people out there and if they boo my ass out; I'm as good as dead. I knew I should have done an extra mile at the gym, I'm-"

The brunette got up from her seat and grabbed her client's shoulders; looking into his worried eyes.

"You are Seth Rollins; you have busted your ass harder than anyone else in this arena in every aspect of this business. You can beat someone on your worst day with a hand tied behind your back. I jumped at the opportunity to manage you because I know the potential and the talent that you have. And I knew under that smug face and…hair dye that you were a good person who loved this business and only wanted to make it better. You've seen my track record; I know you have because your buddy Marek spilled the beans the other day…" She chuckled. "I only go with a sure thing, and I don't think I've been surer about anyone than I am about you."

Seth slowly cracked a smile as his heart rate finally slowed and took in her word; focused on Kari, and looked over her face with admiration. After all of the shit he had put her through, after how he treated Kari, she was still there by his side.

"When you're right, you're right, Kar…"

"That's why they pay me the big bucks, Rollins." She joked as he wrapped her in a hug. Kari immediately hugged back and pressed against his chest. "Go show 'em who Seth Rollins is, boy." She said, and mimicked his signature smirk as they pulled away. The wrestler bounced with excitement as he walked out to gorilla, his manager not far behind with his briefcase as he went to put on his match with Randy Orton.

Hours later, about half an hour into the main event, the pair stood idly by in the hallway. Kari wouldn't admit it, but her mind raced with all of the negative outcomes this bum rush could have. What if Brock and Roman were still fresh? With heightened stakes and adrenaline pumping, they would destroy Seth within minutes. It was a risky maneuver, but Kari wanted to cement not only Seth's legacy, but her own, and there was no grander fashion than this.

"Y'ready?" She asked as she looked over at Seth, who clutched onto his briefcase for dear life. The brunette slipped her hand into his free one slowly and gave him a smile.

"As I'll ever be." Seth replied as his heart thumped in his ears and glanced at the screen in front of them that broadcasted the match playing out in the arena. He squeezed her hand and traced his thumb over her knuckles.

Kari looked over to the screen and narrowed her eyes as she studied both of the behemoths and watched as they panted and dragged along. She pulled her hand back from his and turned to look Seth dead in the eyes as a fire rose in her stomach. "Go and give them hell." She snarled. Seth's spine straightened at her words and nodded before he raced from the hallway straight down to the ring.

It was then that everything happened in a flash. Kari glided to gorilla and watched it all play out, her heart thumped with every bump and jump that Seth took; her worry more that of a significant other than a manager, but she shook off that feeling just as quick as it came. Then, it happened; the Iowan's foot slamming down Roman's head to the mat, the three hits of the mat and finally, the ring of the bell.

Professional or not, the brunette jumped and screamed wildly as Seth was given the title; matching the excitement he exuded on the screen. Kari couldn't help but smile as people congratulated her; the moment a blur until the area cleared out and the curtain moved. Seth came through; sweaty and breathless with the title over his shoulder, and made a beeline to Kari. Before she could get a word out, he took her head in his hands and kissed her passionately; lips moving against each other as if it were choreographed, though the older woman acted purely on instinct. The new champion rested his forehead on hers as he pulled away for a breath.

"It's been you, it always has been, and always will be, Kari Beade. You're the reason for all of this, I don't know that I would have this chance without you, Kar. You make me my best self, and I'll be damned if I lose you." Seth said as his eyes glistened and grip moved to her waist. "I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine…you think we could do that?"

Kari couldn't help but cry herself with the whole moment, and found herself gripping his back. She responded with a nod before he kissed her once more; this time their tongues doing most of the work. That was, until they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You two might want to save that for a honeymoon suite…" Stephanie chided as they pulled away from each other. Kari watched the woman carefully as she gave her congratulations to the champion, and then turned to her husband.

"Well, Hunter, I guess you were right after all. You surprised me, Beade." She said as she stuck out her hand. Kari shook it with a shit-eating grin on her face.

"I have a knack for it…That and my client wasn't half bad." The younger woman joked and bowed her head graciously to the COO. "Now, if you don't mind us, he probably has a photographer waiting on him." She couldn't help but smile as she pulled away and went to Seth, taking his hand.

"…And a jet." Hunter spoke.

"A jet?" Kari asked with a furrowed brow, her now boyfriend with just as much confusion painted on his face.

"The champ has to do an appearance in New York tomorrow morning…You two enjoy yourselves." He said with a hearty laugh as he and his wife strolled away.

"You heard the man. Let's get a move on, champ."


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, so, thanks everyone for being so incredibly patient with this story. I know it's been a long ass time since I updated, and I was flirting with ending it where it was. However, a spurt of inspiration got this one back off the ground again. This chapter is NSFW, just as a warning (: I hope you guys enjoy!**

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 _July 2004—Des Moines, Iowa_

The lights dimmed in the high school gymnasium to signal the start of the show, and Seth couldn't help but revel in the fact that he got to be part of the audience in a show, and not a participant like he had been for the past year. He sat back and watched with a few of the guys from his promotion; taking in whatever it was Ring of Honor had to offer that night. Though only a year into his career, he was largely unimpressed with other promotions. That was, until screeching guitars blasted through the speakers and a billowing cloud of fire engine red hair bounced backwards to the ring, only turning to reveal the wild-eyed face of Dagger once she hit the mat. Seth perched his elbows on his knees and looked on curiously as she went through her routine before her opponent came out. She sang along to the other's theme mockingly as she hung up her jacket and jumped violently until they were both introduced and the bell was rung.

His brown eyes followed Dagger like a tennis match as she moved fluidly and flew effortlessly across the ring. The fact that it was only a dark match had him baffled and intrigued all at once. While the persona had him a bit spooked, he still couldn't help but watch. The crazed wrestler locked her opponent's arm behind her back and cranked once they were outside the ring, making the other woman cry out in pain.

"Look at them, Sara! They all came to see you eat canvas…" She paraded her around and stopped in front of Seth, smirking devilishly. "Like this kid, he enjoys your pain, Sara!" The red-haired woman pushed her opponent into the barricade, leering the both of them over the young man. "Maybe it's a kink, who knows! But you better get used to it, little girl." She gave a wink to him as she walked away and hit a DDT on the steps before dragging the woman like a caveman into the ring and pinning her. Seth kept his eyes locked on the insane and mysterious Dagger as she hopped away with her music playing, unable to keep his mind on anyone else for the rest of the night.

 _March 2015—Somewhere over the West Coast_

Seth smiled in reflection as he stared out the window at the clear, dark sky.

"Something on your mind, Rollins?" Kari asked with a smile, cutting through the silence on the plane. He turned and nodded.

"You, always." He said and chewed on his lip. "You kind of helped me without even knowing it a while back." The brunette shook her head and chuckled bashfully. "Well, that does wonders for my ego." She teased.

"I'm serious, though. You've always kind of been there in the back of my mind. I guess it kind of took all of this for me to realize what your role was in my life."

"I'm sure you didn't envision having to punch someone repeatedly in the process, but I'm glad we've gotten to where we've gotten." She couldn't wipe the gleaming smile off of her face; the joy of the evening still radiating.

"I would do it all again for you, as Notebook-y as that sounds. You're worth it, you always were, and always will be." He said, moving from his seat to hover over his girlfriend and peck her lips gingerly. Kari took the moment to kiss him back slowly, pulling him in by the neck.

"I'm surprised that you would refer to something as Notebook-y, but I'll let it slide. I appreciate the romance. I'd deal with Stephanie's underhanded bullshit for years on end if it meant that you were at the end of the tunnel. I'm so proud of you, bub." She mumbled against his skin as Seth's brown eyes scanned over her face. "You look like a man with a plan, sir."

"I've got a trick up my sleeve, to show my appreciation and all of that." He smirked as he nibbled down to her neck, making Kari gasp in shock as he worked at her spot.

"I, I think I can handle this trick." She groaned as his rough hands gripped and peeled her jacket and shirt off of her body.

Seth laved kisses across her chest and unhooked her bra with ease before he took a nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue before leaving her hanging with a moan and kissing down her stomach. Kari shivered as he gave attention to her middle, and fiddled with his hair.

"So beautiful." He said as he looked up at her with doe eyes and pulled her dress pants down. "You're not so bad yourself." The woman joked as Seth licked his lips, a thin piece of lace separating him from his destination.

She looked down at him curiously before he traced her folds through the soaked panties. The brunette twitched and let out his name in the empty cabin. Taking this as encouragement, he continued to tease her core with a thumb slowly circling her clit.

Kari rolled with his thumb, biting her bottom lip as another moan rumbled in her chest. "Fuck, Seth…" She sighed as she threw her head back. Seth continued in earnest, his girlfriend writhing under his touch and begging for more.

He eventually pushed down her panties and stepped back, much to the chagrin of Kari, who was sprawled out in the plush reclining chair. "You…taking your time? Not appreciative, not nice." She panted as she watched him slowly undress.

"Oh?" He said mischievously as he unbuckled his belt, taking his time to push his pants over his half-hard member. "I mean, I thought you would appreciated this…" He approached her with a smirk before his mouth teased her clit, sucking and nipping as two fingers worked into her core. Kari cried his name repeatedly, her mound throbbing as her skin reddened.

After a few minutes of teasing and his own cock pulsing and leaking pre-come in anticipation, Seth reached into the handle of the chair, pulled out a foil wrapper and ripped it open eagerly before sliding the condom on. He opened up the chair to recline, surprising his girlfriend as he climbed on; hovering over her with his bottom lip between his teeth as he drank her in like animal would its prey. Seth picked up a leg and put it on his shoulder while he slid into her, her face contorting as she arched up to meet him. His brown eyes locked on hers as he slowly began his thrusts.

Kari gasped and pulled Seth in for a searing kiss by the neck, tangling her hands in his hair and pulling, urging his thrusts to speed up. Her hands grabbed and scratched at his muscular back, making him hiss and curse as he angled his hips. She screamed his name as he picked up the pace and buried her face into the crook of his neck.

A combination of his thrusts and a snaking hand to her sensitive clit had the older woman writhing and moaning, her leg shook in anticipation of her orgasm. Seth was not far behind, the scrambling pressure building in the pit of his stomach.

Determined to get his girlfriend off first, the brunette rubbed her clit vigorously. "Come on, come on baby girl…" He whispered into her ear, eliciting a whine from Kari before she came, soaking his cock. She called out his name as she rode out her orgasm and dug her nails deep into his back.

Seth admired his work as much as he could before he too, reached his peak and buried himself deep into her core. He panted against her heated skin, taking a moment to slow down his heart rate. He laid against Kari and peppered her cheek with kisses. "That was…fantastic, Kar. You're amazing." He said as he looked over her face up close and personal.

"That's high praise coming from you." She teased and traced the lines of the tattoo on his back. "This is going to be the beginning of something wonderful, I can feel it."

Seth smiled wide and nodded in agreement before reaching over and grabbing a blanket to cover the both of them, eventually falling asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

So, Happy New Year! I've been kinda slacking with this fic, and I apologize for that. I'm hoping to get my muse back with it, and any suggestions would be more than welcomed! There's some mature content at the beginning. Enjoy!

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Things for the champ could not go better; he was at the top of the mountain professionally, winning by any means necessary, and personally? Well, that wasn't so bad either. He and Kari were in the process of moving in together, that was, whenever the schedule allowed it.

Seth tossed in his sleep, his eyes half lidded as sunlight poured in from the curtains of Kari's Chicago apartment. He knew he probably had to get up soon, but he'd enjoy whatever time he got. It wasn't until he something wet engulf his half-hard shaft that he peaked under the covers. Kari smiled nefariously as she bobbed her head, figuring it was a good enough wake up call.

"H-holy shit…Beade…" He groaned as she moved faster, her hand taking over whatever the brunette couldn't reach. The Iowan reached down and grabbed her hair, tugging viciously as balls pulled taut to his shaft. She gasped around his cock as he pulled and doubled her efforts; determined to make him come before they went about their day.

Kari looked up at Seth's wanton eyes, lust clouding his vision. She swirled her tongue around his tip, and soon enough, he came to his release, moaning her name in the empty bedroom as she swallowed his load. The brunette coaxed him down from his orgasm, drawing circles in his thighs before slowly crawling up his body.

"Well, good morning to you, too." Seth laughed, exasperated.

"Figured you might appreciate that…So, I know you wanna get to a gym today, but just keep yourself available tonight, okay? Phil and Cabana are coming by for dinner…They're insisting on playing catch up, and I don't have the heart to tell them no." She said, her grin unwavering as she anticipated his reaction.

"As much as I…love Phil's company…" Seth began before he looked at his girlfriend's pleading eyes. "Chinese or Pizza?" He asked and watched as Kari sat up on her knees.

"The boys will love pizza. Thank you for being so cool about this, baby. I promise, I'll make it worth your while. Now, up, shower and get to CrossFit before I have to hear about a WOD." Kari joked as Seth frowned, which prompted the brunette to peck his lips gently. Seth, meanwhile, pulled her on top of him and began to tickle and kiss her.

The day had passed as Kari tidied up the apartment and called her favorite pizza restaurant. They were one of the few that actually had the option for pizza like she had at home, so that was always her go to. Seth had strolled into the living room; kicked his shoes off and tossed his gym bag to the side as if he were home.

"Hey now, you're not in a barn, Rollins, put that shit in the bedroom." She said with a pointed look as she wiped down the counters.

"Yes, mom…" He sighed as he rolled his eyes, picked up his stuff and headed to their bedroom.

"I mean, if you're into that sorta thing, yeah…" She laughed as the doorbell rang. Kari walked to the door and greeted her guests with a smile.

"Jesus, they let you into the building with those beards?" The brunette quipped as she hugged Colt, and then Phil.

"Well, they let you live here, so…" Phil offered.

"Where's the dude?" Colt asked as he looked around. "I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised he's stuck around this long…He didn't find that thing you do with your tongue weird?" He chuckled as Seth walked behind Kari, who kicked the taller man in the shin.

"Not like you would know what that thing is…" She huffed as Seth greeted the two, his handshake with Phil a bit more firm as they looked at each other quizzically.

Kari ushered everyone to the living room and turned on the TV before she grabbed drinks for everyone from the fridge. She settled in next to Seth, nuzzling close to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist, garnering a look from Phil as Cabana continued to talk about whatever was on the television at that moment. Seth looked back at the tattooed man with a furrowed brow before the doorbell rang again.

"That's probably the pizza." Kari said as she began to get up. Seth had stopped her midway, pecking her lips before he got up and paid for the pizza. He grabbed plates and brought them over to the coffee table, setting up the food for everyone to eat.

"Wow, he pays for pizza, sets the table…You better put a ring on it, Beade." Colt quipped, causing Kari to throw a pillow at him before she grabbed slices for her and Seth. She handed him his plate before sitting back down next to him. Phil quietly observed the two, this time Kari looking at her friend.

"Is there something…wrong, Phil?" She asked, earning a shake of his head as he ate his slice.

A few hours had passed as they ate and watched the hockey game on the television, the monotony only broken by Kari getting up and going to the bathroom. Seth immediately turned to Phil and let out a sigh.

"Look, if you got a problem with me and Kari, then talk to me about it." He said pointedly as the older man glared at him.

"I don't have any problem, Sparky. I just don't want my best friend getting hurt by some asshole."

"Well, I can assure you that she's not…"

Cabana looked up from his cup. "Why are you all in her business anyway, man?"

Seth shook his head and folded his arms. Phil had taken a sip from his drink before he began.

"I…used her when were together. It was just a convenient thing; she was around and she wasn't a total psychopath…I never felt the same way she did, and when we split, I just told her that we were better off as friends and left it at that." He gulped as he saw Seth's eyes go dark.

"So because you were an asshole to her, you decide to be up her ass? That's why you're giving me a hard time?"

Meanwhile, Kari had sat in the bathroom, unintentionally overhearing the entire conversation and bubbling over with tears. She sniffled before she got out of the bathroom, moving into the kitchen and fiddling with the bottles in the fridge.

As Phil stuttered, an annoyed Seth shook his head. "She's been gone a while. Excuse me." He said as the two friends were left to look at each other with inquiring looks, Phil's head hanging shamefully. Seth got up, and before he could walk down the hall to the bathroom, he spotted Kari bent over in the fridge. "Everything okay, Kar Bear?" He asked.

Kari turned around with bloodshot eyes and nodded.

"Now, I've been around long enough to know that's a load of crap…" He chuckled as she stood up, and took her hand.

"I…I heard everything. I always had an inkling that…that was true, I just didn't need the confirmation." She sniffled, her eyes cast downward. Seth looked at his girlfriend sadly and took a deep breath.

"Kari, I promise, that will never happen to you…Not with me. You are it, through and through, and I'll spend every day of my life proving that to you if I have to. I love you more than anything else in this world." He said as he turned her chin up to meet her eyes.

"I love you, too." She said softly, wiping her face before she leaned in to kiss him gently. Seth kissed her back slowly and pulled her tight to his body. The moment was only broken up by a clearing of someone's throat. They both looked up, Seth's infuriated glare penetrating Phil's interruption.

"What could you possibly have to say?" He snarled.

"Look, Kar…I'm sorry. I harbored a lot of guilt because of what I did and I took that out on whatever jer—guys you dated. You've got a good guy on your hands…You two deserve each other." He sighed, his guilty eyes looking at the couple.

Kari gripped Seth tight and simply nodded. "He is pretty great." She smiled and looked up at her boyfriend. With a nod, Phil and Colt left the apartment; leaving the couple standing in the kitchen quietly.


End file.
